"Is that any better?" Magnus asked him, healing up a small gash on Simon's hand – an injury sustained during his escape – with a slight flurry of sparks.
"I – I – I think so. Thank you."
If he had been shocked that Camille had come back, it was nothing compared to the shock of seeing Simon Lewis, decidedly alive, mortal and bereft of all the craziness Magnus' ex had shown up with. He was mainly concerned for his sister though, who kept a distance of at least two metres to Simon and who would absolutely not, for any reason, take her eyes off him. She looked tired and ill and all Alec wanted to do was hold her and comfort her and look after her. But she was completely focussed on the ex-vampire.
And he couldn't really blame her. Even though poor Peter was now nowhere to be seen. He felt a slight pang for him: he had confessed that he was in love with Isabelle, but she had continually resisted and now Alec knew why. She had never given up hope that Simon was alive, even though the notion had seemed entirely ridiculous to the rest of them. How poor Peter was meant to cope with this complication he couldn't even begin to guess at. Alec didn't want him to have his heart broken – he had been there and it was not pleasant – but there wasn't really anything he could do. It was up to Isabelle.
"Is there anything you can remember of what happened now? Why were the Council holding you?" Magnus asked Simon, checking his pulse again.
"The last thing I remember was the battle. I – I know that I bit Sebastian and he stabbed me in the chest. I was trying to give Clary more time." He looked up expectantly and then over at Clary, who was still shaking in a corner, comforted by Jace.
"We won, if that is what you were asking," Magnus told him softly. Simon let out a breath he had been holding.
"Oh thank God! I was worried there for a second!"
His jubilation silenced the room once more as they all stared at him in disbelief. Simon didn't seem to quite realise that he had said the word 'God' and was absolutely fine. He also didn't seem to realise that the last thing he could remember was almost five years in the past.
"But how did I get into the dungeon? What happened?"
Unfortunately, no one had any answers.
"He was being held in the dungeon in Alicante. Isabelle got some information that led her to believe Simon was alive and being held prisoner by the Council. I didn't believe it, but I went along with her because I didn't want her to be upset when he wasn't there," Clary explained, holding onto her hot cocoa tightly with both hands. A silent, solitary tear slid down her cheek. Jace had his arm draped about her protectively.
Simon was currently in a comfortable room, resting. Isabelle was sat outside, guarding him and wouldn't leave. She had to be dragged from the room in the first place. Not because Simon didn't want her to stay with him, but because of how distressed she was and how she couldn't stop crying. It probably wasn't great for Simon to have her in there with him until she had calmed down, especially since Simon didn't seem to remember a thing from the past five years and it probably wasn't a good idea to go and stress him out; so much had happened and had changed. Alec was sure the others would have come to the same terrible conclusion he had: Simon didn't remember the past five years because he actually had been dead. They had all seen him fall in the Battle. Though coming to think of it, although he had been honoured among the fallen, his body was not amongst those they burnt in any of the funeral ceremonies because he was not Nephilim. Clary had bartered for his body to be sent home to his mother. Alec had never actually enquired whether it had got there, though there was a gravestone for him in a cemetery a few blocks away that Isabelle and Clary put there so they had somewhere to visit and grieve.
"Isabelle never lost hope that he was still alive. I hated that he was dead. It felt like there was a massive part of my heart missing, but I accepted it. I shouldn't have. I should have known." Clary wept silently, tears spilling into her chocolate.
Alec really did feel for her. He had mourned Simon and had missed him over the years too, but Clary had been his best friend. Poor Isabelle had been in love with him. Was still in love with him.
"I think we may need to address what exactly happened when you broke him out," Jace whispered. "Were you pursued?"
Clary nodded ominously. "They really didn't want us to take him, but there were only two guards."
"Did you kill anyone?" Magnus asked, pouring himself a coffee and then looking at it forlornly. He left the cup where it was and magicked a bottle of liquor.
"No," Clary told him matter-of-factly. "Just knocked them out and then legged it. No one else saw us – I think."
Magnus poured a liberal amount of whisky into his coffee and sighed.
"I can't understand why he was being held as a prisoner," Alec said, still baffled and in shock. "I should ask Jia. This could be more serious than we thought."
Jace got to his feet suddenly, preventing Clary from running over to Alec. Magnus turned, alerted, his hand crackling with blue sparks and Alec stood there dumbfounded, not really knowing what was happening.
"You can't Alec! You can't report this!" Clary yelled wildly, held back by Jace. He was a little stunned at first, but then realised she was right. If the Council had been keeping Simon locked up then Jia was the last person he could turn to. He waved a hand at Magnus for him to stand down. He wouldn't have Clary hurt by anyone, especially Magnus, even if she was about to attack him.
"Sorry – I didn't think," Alec apologised quickly.
"You won't, will you?" Jace asked him, still holding tightly to Clary's shoulders. "I mean, you're the Head of the Institute. You work for them."
Alec eyed him critically. "This Institute means a lot to me, to all of us. And so does the Clave and the Council. I believe in the Council now, after the Dark War. We have Downworlder members and things have been changing for the better. I know them all and they are all fair and good people. But if they think they are taking Simon from us without a fight they are sorely mistaken."
Jace smiled at him.
"Magnus, can we get some extra wards up? I don't want any unexpected visits from the Council."
Magnus drained his 'coffee' and placed it down on the counter. "Don't forget we have Helen and Aline visiting tomorrow," he said quietly. Alec took a deep breath.
"Why are they visiting?" Clary asked, her face distraught with concern.
Alec waved his hand. "It was meant to be a social call. I will cancel."
"That may raise suspicions. If we can make it look like we have nothing to hide then they won't automatically think Isabelle, Clary and Simon are here," Jace told them sagely.
"I can put up wards and still get Helen and Aline in," Magnus said. "We will just have to make sure to keep all you fugitives out of the way," he told Clary, with a crooked smirk and shrug.
"Maybe you should contact Eris," Alec suggested to Magnus and watched him reel at the thought. "Camille and now Simon showing up both alive and mortal? It's too much of a coincidence."
"He's trying to get to me," Magnus told Alec, his eyes shining in anger.
"Wait a second," Clary sputtered. "Camille?!"
Alec supposed everyone had forgotten to tell her in all the confusion over Simon's arrival. She had been in Idris, after all, when they had discovered Camille and brought her to the Institute.
"Yeah, that's probably one to save for over a bottle of wine or two," Magnus observed gravely and poured himself another whiskey into his coffee cup. He didn't even pretend to put coffee in that time.
Magnus and Alec then found themselves explaining, over many glasses of wine and half a bottle of scotch, everything that had been happening with Magnus' sister showing up and the revelation that Camille was alive and how she had asked Alec for help. Right up until Magnus had found Camille in the Dumont and brought her back. Needless to say there was general hushed and shocked silence as everyone tried to process these events.
As Alec lay in bed that night, definitely not sleeping, he tried to think everything through, what position they would be in when the Council found out they had Simon; what Asmodeus might be planning and how Magnus might be involved against his will; whether they would have a baby with their friends. He felt like his brain was Grand Central, with thoughts like high-speed trains whizzing around in there.
"Alec?" Clearly Magnus was not asleep either. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I think so," he replied and turned to face Magnus, just about being able to make out his husband's beautiful features in the dark. "It's a shock, but… Well, how can any of us not be ok? We thought we was dead but he's come back to us. Simon's alive and that is definitely a good thing, right?"
Magnus shimmied over and entangled himself in Alec. "I honestly don't know what to make of this. I could scour my books all day but I know I will not find anything about this. It's weird, for lack of a better word."
"And I have to admit that with all this, talking to Helen and Aline about having a baby tomorrow is not really a priority for me," Alec sighed.
"But it has to be done now, they are going to come here and will be expecting to talk about it. It would look suspicious if we suddenly cancelled."
"And do you still want to do this?" He was almost frightened to ask.
"Alexander, I want to have a family with you so very much. I actually like the idea of having Helen and Aline as mothers of our child – it keeps making more and more sense to me." Magnus laughed nervously. Alec wasn't perhaps as convinced about sharing a child with another couple, but that was why they had to talk to them he supposed.
"That makes me so happy to hear you say that Magnus, but I don't know whether this will all just be too complicated to pull off…"
"But like you said, we need to talk to them and find out where everyone stands. It may turn out that none of this is complicated at all. That everything will sort itself out and make complete sense."
"Doubt that," Alec grumbled darkly.
Magnus chuckled lightly and kissed his head. "Stop being so pessimistic. I think I may be rubbing off on you a little too much."
Alec tried to straighten his shirt collar by looking at his reflection in a window, stupidly nervous.
"What are you doing?"
He turned abruptly and was subsequently very shocked to see Isabelle stood there smirking at him. Despite her playful expression, she looked ill and haggard in a way Alec had never seen her. Her beautiful glossy black hair had lost a lot of its shine and her usually glitteringly bright, dark eyes were dull and had lost their verve. Her lips, cheeks and figure were unusually thin and she looked brittle, as if she might break at any second.
"I – uh – Helen and Aline are visiting," he told her, still slightly in shock at her appearance.
"And you are preening yourself because you have suddenly developed an attraction to females and are hoping you can turn one of them straight?" she enquired, a smile playing on her thin cracked lips. She was clearly trying hard to come across as 'normal'.
"Izzy, what's wrong?" he asked, ignoring her jibes. He was too concerned about her to banter with her.
She looked at him strangely before her eyes welled with tears. She smiled thinly and said, "He's back. He's come back to me." Before the tears flooded and Alec folded her up and let her cry her heart out.
"Alec," she whispered just as her sobbing calmed.
"I'm here, it's ok," he said comfortingly, holding her to him and stroking her hair.
"Alec, I'm going to…" she started. But she never finished her sentence and drooped in Alec's arms. She would have fallen to the floor had he not caught her and supported her. She was as light as a feather and felt little more than a rag doll in is hands, her body completely limp.
"Izzy!" he cried and carefully laid her on the floor. He checked her vitals, which were all strong, though she looked as pale and translucent as a ghost.
"Oh god, come on Izzy! Wake up!"
She murmured and fluttered her eyelids, confused. "What –"
He lifted her upper body so that she was sitting, supported by leaning entirely on him. "You fainted," he told her, unable to conceal the panic in his voice. She struggled to her feet, leveraging herself from him and he helped her to her feet, not letting go of her as she stumbled and did not seem too steady.
"Sorry," she mumbled. "Don't know what happened."
"You're exhausted, Isabelle. You look so ill and you need to rest."
"I –" and then she fainted again. This time, Alec swept her up into his arms and carried her to her room without even pausing for breath.
She stirred into consciousness again when she was lying on the bed. "I am going to get Magnus to have a look at you. He might know a spell or a potion to help you sleep. Otherwise, I am going to have to call the Silent Brothers."
"Alec, no! You can't do that! They saw me when I got Simon! The Silent Brothers will lock me up!" she said, struggling up and wild with panic, her eyes streaming tears yet again. She did seem to have a bit more life about her, but that was probably only brought on by the adrenaline rush of fright.
"Izzy, this could be serious!" he tried to plead with her. She fell silent and then jumped out of bed as swiftly as he had ever seen her move. He sat there staring, stunned as she ran to the bathroom and vomited loudly. He went to her and sat on the cold tiled floor next to her as she was ill, holding her hair and stroking her back. She was there for a good ten minutes but eventually she stopped, no longer bringing up anything.
"Sorry," she muttered and fell backwards into his arms exhausted.
"Let me take you back to bed and fetch Magnus. At least he will be able to help you rest for a while and advise what we should do."
She nodded her assent wearily and Alec picked her up from the floor and carried her like a child back to her bed. He kissed her forehead tenderly before leaving her to sleep.
Magnus kept pushing the glass of water towards her and she kept pushing it back, like some childish power struggle, except that she wasn't looking at him or even seemed aware of where she was or what she was doing.
He couldn't puzzle it out. Simon had asked for blood, so obviously still needed it too, but he didn't seem addicted to it like Camille. Simon was also in perfectly sound mind, unless you counted his amnesia of the last five years. It had come as a shock to the poor boy that he was no longer a vampire, but Magnus had proven it to him by letting him feel his own pulse. Simon had then hungrily gobbled down an entire dish of macaroni cheese. He was taking to his re-discovered humanity better than Camille. But then, Camille had been a vampire so much longer and perhaps she had forgotten what it was like to be mortal. She had also quite clearly gone mad and Magnus had no idea how to help her or get through to her.
"Come on Camille, allez. S'il vous plait."
She turned suddenly to him when he spoke to her in French and eyed him with a great amount of suspicion. "Camille," he said softly, but then she just looked away again and resumed her rocking and muttering.
It startled him when the door creaked open but it was only Alec.
"Any luck?" he asked as he tiptoed gingerly into the room.
Magnus got up from the floor and sighed as he dusted his pants. "Not yet, though I forced her to drink some water earlier and she bit me. It didn't hurt – she doesn't seem to have fangs anymore."
"Magnus, Isabelle –"
But Alec was cut off as Camille turned and called out to him. "Monsieur! Je te pleure! Aidez-moi, je te pleure!" she wept and held out her hands in supplication.
"Well that's the most sense she has said since she's been here. Don't be shy, she seems to only want you," he told Alec and pushed him towards Camille. Alec resisted at first but then willingly went over to her and knelt beside her. He took her hands tenderly in his own and she cried at him, whispering. "Aidez-moi, je te pleure" over and over.
"Camille," Alec said firmly, which silenced her and she gazed at him expectantly. "Do you know who I am?"
Magnus could only watch on in astonishment. "You're an angel," she told him with a smile. "You must help me."
Then he had to turn away, he could no longer bear to look at her like that, it was too much.
"It's Alec Lightwood," Alec told her softly. "Do you remember?"
"They made me drink the bad blood," she cried.
Magnus steeled himself and went over to them. He knelt and picked up the glass of water. "Try and get her to drink this," he told Alec, passing it to him. His husband took the glass and Magnus noticed he was shaking slightly.
"Will you drink this Camille? It's water, not blood, but you need it."
Alec handed her the glass and she took it from him and downed it in three large gulps before letting the glass fall to the floor. Thankfully, it didn't shatter and Magnus magicked it away. She saw what he had done and then stared directly at him, her face contorted with fear.
"Restez loin de moi!" she screamed and scrambled away. "Il est le diable!" She flung her arms up and shielded her head and rocked back and forth again.
"Really," Magnus said in annoyance.
"She thinks you're the devil?"
All Magnus could do was sigh and shrug. "I'll keep my distance," he told Alec. "Do you mind going and trying to calm her down?"
Alec nodded and gave Magnus a peck on the cheek before he went over to Camille once more and spoke soothingly to her. She calmed down almost immediately.
"Il est yeux," she kept repeating to Alec, looking at him like she was pleading for her life.
Alec looked over at him with a sympathetic smile and said, "Well you do have your father's eyes."
"So does Eris," Magnus grumbled. "Although heavens knows what they have done to her and why she is so scared. She doesn't recognise us."
"But she did yesterday," Alec argued.
"I can't pretend to know how her mind is working right now."
"Come on Camille, why don't we get you into bed so you can rest?" Alec suggested to her kindly. He helped her to her feet and she wobbled about for a second before walking very slowly, completely supported by his husband, over to the small cot they had set up in the room for her. She sat down soundlessly and stared out at nothing whatsoever. Alec came back over to where Magnus stood and observed.
"We at least have to tell the Council about her," he told Magnus with chagrin.
"Yeah, I think you're right," he admitted.
"Oh, Magnus," Alec said suddenly. "I didn't mean to get distracted by Camille, but Izzy is really sick and I was wondering if you could come and look at her? She fainted twice and threw up."
Magnus could see the worry clouding his beautiful eyes. This didn't sound good. "Of course," he said instantly and without hesitation. "Let's go."
After seeing to Isabelle, who seemed to be recovered but entirely exhausted, and giving her a sleeping potion, he visited Simon again. Clary was in his room with him, chatting to him and both looked happy. It was rather disconcerting but inspirational too. They currently didn't have much to smile about considering the sinister nature of his captivity and his being alive again. But it was also like no time had passed at all. They sat their talking like they were best friends and that was all.
Simon looked fine – great even. He looked as though he hadn't aged much, though he was taller than Magnus remembered and more muscular now. He wasn't wearing those hideous glasses he was so attached to before he was turned, so Magnus figured that his sight had remained intact and hadn't reverted during the process where he became mortal.
"Just wanted to check you were both ok and you have everything you need," he told them, not wanting to intrude.
"We're great, thank you," Simon told him with a warm smile.
"Simon has started to remember some things," Clary blurted.
"Yeah, I remember being underground somewhere and all these people in dark robes, like a cult, you know?"
Magnus had a feeling he knew exactly what Simon was talking about. He urged him to continue.
"I was kept in a cell. I was their prisoner, but they treated me really well. They gave me blood and anything I wanted really, but wouldn't let me out obviously. There were two other prisoners too – two girls. One I think I knew, because I have this memory of us speaking through the bars, plotting how we were going to escape. And there was this woman. She was so beautiful but so so scary…"
"Let me guess, "Magnus quipped. "Long dark hair, cat-eyes…"
"Yes! How did you…? Do you know who she is?"
"That would be my sister, Eris," he told them with a sigh.
Clary looked at him in puzzlement. "Go on Simon," she said. "Tell him what you remember after you escaped."
"I was in a lot of pain. My head felt like it was going to explode. But it was easy to get out because they were taking me away, going to kill me with this long sword thing. And I just ran as fast as I could and I got away. There was traffic and it was noisy and then that woman… your sister? She opened up a… Well, it was a portal. I remember that now, though I don't think I knew what it was called at the time. And as I stepped through I had this memory of fighting Sebastian in Idris and I found myself there, in the exact same place. Except there was no battle. And my head was just pounding and I felt queasy and strange and then I can't remember anything else, until I woke up in another prison cell, but this time I recognised where I was and the last thing I remembered was fighting Sebastian. I screamed out for answers, but no one spoke to me."
"And no one came to see you at all? No one visited?"
"There was this guy – he looked official – but I didn't recognise him. He didn't speak either. Stood there and stared, creeping me out for a couple of minutes and then left."
"This is all getting stranger and stranger," Magnus observed.
"You're telling me," Clary said.
Alec was just on his way out to meet Magnus. He was opening the portal for Helen and Aline at five and Alec was so nervous and highly wrought with the day's events that he thought he would have preferred to just go and hide in a dark corner.
He ran into Peter in the hallway.
"Hey," he greeted. Peter nodded at him but didn't say anything. He looked like he was about to break down at any moment. Alec knew where his priorities lay. Their meeting with Helen and Aline may be important, but Peter was family and needed him.
"It's going to be alright," he told Peter, putting his arm around the boy's shoulders.
"I'm going back to London," he said, sounding small.
"Pete, this is your home. You don't need to go anywhere."
"I can't be around her right now. She won't speak to me, won't even look at me. Now he is back that's the end of it I guess." He tried to pull away but Alec grabbed his arm.
"I understand. I can only imagine how difficult this is for you. But you must know they are not together. Izzy is sick, she needs someone to be there for her and I can't keep watch all hours of the day."
"I appreciate that and I would… I would stay and help and be there for her whenever she needed me. But I can't do it anymore. I just can't," he said, crying openly now. Alec had only ever seen Peter cry once, when he had first arrived a frightened and troubled fifteen year old who had witnessed the brutal murder of his parents. It wasn't that he never got sad, just that he wasn't the over-emotional type. Alec got that and couldn't help but see some similarity with himself.
"Hey, it's ok," Alec said and hugged him. "Maybe it is a good idea for you to get some distance for now, just whole we try to work everything out with the Simon situation. But just so you know, you will always have a home here. We want you back, we really do."
"Paul wants to come with me," Peter told Alec, wiping at his eyes.
"That might not be a bad idea, considering all of the crazy stuff that is happening here. He may be safer…"
"I am in no position to take him and look out for him at the moment. I am not even sure I could look after myself right now."
Alec told him that it would be ok and he would look out for Paul.
"Do you think Magnus would open a portal for me? I want to get back there as soon as I can, so I don't change my mind during the journey," Peter asked.
"Sure, I'll ask him. He's outside now opening a portal for Helen and Aline."
They caught Magnus as he was walking back through the side entrance door form the garden, Helen and Aline in tow and walking hand in hand. Alec felt a little awkward.
"Magnus, I don't suppose you would mind opening another portal for Peter so he can get to the London Institute?"
"Seriously?" Magnus asked, his eyebrow raised in annoyance.
"Please Magnus, I'll talk to you later about it," Alec whispered to him. The Warlock looked concerned for a moment.
"Come on then," he said to Peter and Alec gave him a hug before he went outside. He was then left alone with Helen and Aline and he could feel them staring at him. Alec could feel the heat of a blush creeping across his skin.
"Sorry," he said to them, trying to sound breezy. "We've been having some… uh, family issues I guess?"
"Well I hope everything is ok," Aline told him encouragingly before the most awkward silence Alec had ever known.
"So, yeah… it's been a bit… difficult recently. Bit of a headache."
Another silence and Alec berated himself thinking he should really not try and volunteer to distract anyone from awkward situations. He really hoped Magnus would hurry up.
"Shall we go and talk?" Helen offered.
"Yeah, of course," Alec said, remembering himself. They could hardly just stand around waiting for Magnus to get in; it was only polite he should invite his guests inside. "Let's go grab a coffee. I think Magnus wanted to take us out for some dinner if that's ok? May be a little more private than sticking around here."
They both agreed and all walked together silently to the kitchen. The atmosphere was thick with so many things that were left unsaid and dangling. It was a delicate situation, but all Alec really wanted to do was to ask them a million questions. He had to restrain himself.
In reality it had only taken about ten minutes, though it felt like the longest time, before Magnus came half-jogging into the kitchen.
"Sorry about that everyone!" he apologised jovially. They hadn't really spoken, so Magnus' words did quite a good job at cutting through the tension. The good mood dropped somewhat. However, when they all went out together and Magnus suggested Taki's. It wasn't really an appropriate place to have this kind of discussion and the tension came flooding right back in when he and Magnus had bickered over it.
They ended up in a mundane café, eating lasagne and drinking Italian wine. To be fair, the alcohol did help Alec's nerves and it did allow the conversation to flow more easily. However, there were no mention of babies.
"So," Alec said suddenly. "Shall we talk about having a baby?"
He perhaps didn't mean to sound so business-like and unconcerned, but it just sort of came out like that. Everyone seemed to sigh in relief.
"Have you guys thought about the offer?" Aline asked, daring to get them started.
"We need to know more before we can consider," Magnus said straight away, clasping Alec's hand in his own under the table, their earlier dispute completely forgotten.
"What do you need to know?" Helen asked, smiling amiably at them.
He may as well get this over with and get everything out in the open, he thought. "I don't want to be a donor."
All three of them looked at him in astonishment and then Helen and Aline's faces began to drop in sadness.
"I mean," he said hurriedly. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't just… you know. And then see someone else raising my child."
This didn't really do anything to improve the girls' mood.
"I think," Magnus cut in. "That what Alec is trying to say is that he is not interested in just helping you out so you can have a baby. We both feel very strongly that we would like to become parents ourselves and we do not think we could have a baby and then have no part in its life."
Alec turned to him and whispered "thank you". Magnus could always speak so much more eloquently than he could.
"We've been thinking about that too. I don't think the baby shouldn't have a father," Helen told them, her beautiful blue-green eyes wide.
"There are a couple of options, I guess," Aline approached, slightly timidly and Magnus urged her to continue with a nod of his head.
"Well, firstly I suppose there is the option that you would do this favour for us and then we would do you the same favour when you were ready for a child of your own…"
Alec almost choked. "A little mercenary isn't it?" he said when they all looked at him.
"But of course we would never stop you seeing the baby or being involved in its life! And of course you would be officially the child's father, both of you," Helen jumped in, sounding desperate. "We could, of course, move to the New York Institute and all raise the baby together," she suggested hopefully.
"I really think that will be a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth," Magnus warned.
"No, I agree with that," Aline said, smiling at Magnus. "Not that we don't get on with you guys, but four parents is a lot to handle I think."
"I think we can't say that because we have never all tried living together for any length of time. But maybe it could be an option?" Alec ventured.
"Or we could both try for a baby at the same time. And then one would live with us and one with you…"
"Let me stop you there," Alec jumped in hastily. "The very thing I do not want to happen is that I give any children away. If we had a child each that would mean we would both lose out. I can't do that, I'm sorry."
"Wait Alec, I don't think that is necessarily a bad idea," Magnus said.
Alec gaped at him. "So you want me to have two children now, all of a sudden? You didn't want me to have any a few days ago!"
"This is the first I heard about you wanting to get pregnant too," Helen said to Aline, a little put out.
"Alexander, please. Just consider it for a moment. It is not like we will be giving up a child completely. The one who won't live with us will be living with Helen and Aline, being raised primarily by them whilst we primarily raise the other."
"It would mean us having to give up a child too," Helen said, now looking a little sad. "But if that's what it takes…"
"I don't know. What if they completely resent it? What if they get jealous of the other? It's so complicated…"
"We would have a lot of conditions," Magnus interrupted, leaving Alec stunned and scratching his head. The Warlock squeezed his hand more tightly and continued. "Firstly, we would have an official contract in place outlining contact arrangements, at least for Alec if not for myself. There should be no reason why Alec would have two children and not get to see the one of them ever. It would work the other way around too, of course."
"No," Alec said loudly. "This isn't just about me. Me and Magnus are in this together. Any biological child of mine will be Magnus' child too. And I am sure Helen and Aline both feel the same"
Magnus squeezed his hand again and smiled at him.
"We could definitely come to terms with those sort of arrangements," Helen said quietly. Alec was shocked and stared at her. "This means the world to me, having a child, and if this is what it takes then I will be content. Families are all so different now and being lesbians this could be our greatest opportunity."
"We mustn't think of it as 'giving up' a child. It is about each of us having a family. It will mean that we get to spend way more time together too," Aline added with a smile.
"If I agree to do this then I want to be able to see my child whenever I want. I want them to grow up knowing me and Magnus are their fathers and that they would always have a home with us. I want to be there for everything. I – I don't want to be an absent father."
"That makes perfect sense," Helen confirmed.
Alec began to get butterflies in his stomach. Having a family with Magnus was like a dream come true. And was now very much within his reach. But he had to make it happen. He had to put aside selfish thoughts and focus on what they could potentially be gaining, not losing.
"I need to have a quick word with Magnus in private," he suddenly announced and got up awkwardly, pulling his husband with him.
"Excuse us," Magnus said politely as he was dragged away.
"I need to know, right now, what you think we should do. I need you to tell me, in your opinion, what the best case scenario would be from here." He gazed into Magnus' gold-green eyes, aware he was blazing, unable to control his emotions.
"I think this is too good an opportunity to pass up my love," he told Alec steadily, his eyes fixed on Alec's own, not letting up for a second so that Alec knew what he said was how he truly felt. "Best case scenario, out of everything we have spoken about, is for us both to have a baby. Now, whether that would mean trying with the two of them at the same time, or waiting to see how things turn out, that would be up to you. Ultimately, the decision lies in your hands Alec. No one is going to force you."
Alec felt relieved more than anything. "From the moment they mentioned it, despite the shock, having a baby was all I could think about. You're right. It won't happen any other way, not if we want our own children. Adoption could still be an option, but our friends are here and they are asking – begging – for our help."
With that, Alec walked back over to the table and back to two very anxious looking ladies. Magnus trailed behind him.
"I want us to do this," he announced. "Let's have a baby."
A/N: Thank you to all who have left me feedback so far! It really is appreciated, so do let me know what you think of this chapter as well :-)
(Wolfie! I cannot PM you because you are singed in as a guest! But thank you very much for your comments and for sticking by this story!)
I know a few of you have left me reviews, telling me you do not like the idea of Alec and Magnus having a baby with Helen and Aline, but in the real world this kind of thing does happen, not just amongst the LGBT community either. Friends have babies with each other, people donate their sperm and eggs, some women become surrogate mothers and all of these things are wonderful. Because they give a couple who maybe cannot become parents by themselves the greatest gift of all. Adoption is, of course, a wonderful thing too and this is something I have had personal experience with. All I will say to that, in regards to this story is: keep reading ;-)
As a child of something similar to the above 'arrangement', I can vouch that this is not a bad thing for the parents or the child. My life is blessed because of all of my parents. Any child would be lucky to have soo many people who dote on them!
As always, please remember your 3 F's! Feedback, follow and fave!
Laubie x